Shaft sanding!!

neonlight said:

Shafts get sticky and bumpy. Just like tires on a car wear down. The shaft is a tool. Like a sharp chisel. The chisel needs to be sharpened to work as intended. Your shaft needs to be sanded/polished to achieve optimum performance. A 1200 grit will remove imperceptible amounts of wood. I have a Josh shaft which is 30 yrs. old. I have sanded it as needed. It is essentially the same diameter as when first purchased. I was a tool and die guy. I know how to measure to .00001". So I know what I'm saying here.
Again, the shaft is a tool to get a job done. It is not a painting to be viewed and never touched. If you do wear it down buy another one!
The smoother the shaft the smoother the stroke. Simple physics.

Click to expand...

Wow.... It takes people thousands and thousands of posts to come up with a classic like this.

And you did it in only 26.......Bravo.:grin:

Holy Schnickies

WildWing said:

Then, stop doing what everybody does, chalking with your bridge hand. It just dumps chalk dust onto your bridge hand, which transfers the chalk dust onto your shaft over time. Chalk with the other hand, keeping the shaft relatively clean.

Click to expand...

I am very confused by this comment being I chalk with my bridge hand and never get chalk "dumped" on it. As a matter of fact, being that my hand is above the chalk and the shaft tip of the stick the very natural forces of gravity prevent the chalk from going to my bridge hand but instead cause it to fall more toward my shooting hand.

I also wear a glove 100% of the time so do not need to clean my shaft very often. As a matter of fact I have probably over 200 hours actually shooting on the one I have now an don't feel it needs to be cleaned.

It certainly does not need to be sanded or burnished which I never quite understood why some people do that so much. One buddy of mine does it every time he takes his sticks out of his bag and the middle of the shaft is thinner than the rest of it. I tell him that if you are that sensitive to every little nick and nook in the thing then start wearing a glove so you don't feel them.

WildWing said:

Sanding is for reducing the diameter of a shaft, not for cleaning it. If you constantly clean with sandpaper, you're going to keep doing it, and end up with something resembling a needle.

For cleaning a shaft, rub a damp paper towel over the shaft, some prefer denatured alcohol, some don't, it's up to you. Follow up with a shaft sealer of some type, Q Slick works good, or a sanding sealer. Then finish up with either Q papers or micro cloths, or the equivalent to get the right smoothness. Some prefer to finish with wax; I don't need it. Up to you.

Then, stop doing what everybody does, chalking with your bridge hand. It just dumps chalk dust onto your bridge hand, which transfers the chalk dust onto your shaft over time. Chalk with the other hand, keeping the shaft relatively clean.

Other methods work, but stop sanding your shafts. It's not necessary. Adopt better habits.

All the best,
WW

Click to expand...

It doesn't matter what grit sandpaper you are using. Each time you sand, you make the shaft smaller. Sure it is an tiny bit but eventually I will be able to sell you a new shaft. The damp paper towel will clean off the contaminants that are on the surface of the wood and causing the sticky shaft. Your hands should also be washed to remove the sweat and oils that cause the sticking. If, after drying, the shaft has some raised grain, Lightly sand with 600 0r 800 grit till smooth. After a few times wiping and sanding, the grain issue will be gone. Scotch brite sands wood.

Skippy27 said:

I am very confused by this comment being I chalk with my bridge hand and never get chalk "dumped" on it. As a matter of fact, being that my hand is above the chalk and the shaft tip of the stick the very natural forces of gravity prevent the chalk from going to my bridge hand but instead cause it to fall more toward my shooting hand.

Click to expand...

When a lot of people chalk with their bridge hand, they're also holding the end of the shaft with that same hand. That hand cannot help but get chalk particles on it. Sounds like you have a better way of doing it with your palm not below the chalking. That's what I meant.

WildWing said:

When a lot of people chalk with their bridge hand, they're also holding the end of the shaft with that same hand....... That's what I meant.

Click to expand...

That makes sense for what you said then. I was trying to picture it, but never got the image of someone holding it and chalking it with the same hand.

beerpressure said:

Do "good" shafts come already smooth and ready to play? I want to buy a new cue but don't want to have to sand it to make it playable.

Click to expand...

Yes, at least the shafts from Predator do.

I've seen cues from manufacturers that didn't do the final sanding n the shaft. That's the only time I would sand it and I would have someone w a lathe do it.

I have a cleaner/polisher for keeping it slick.

Imo, chalk on the shaft is just a part of pool life.

Paul Dayton said:

It doesn't matter what grit sandpaper you are using. Each time you sand, you make the shaft smaller. Sure it is an tiny bit but eventually I will be able to sell you a new shaft.

Click to expand...

As a cuemaker, you are correct. Some of the other responses love to kid us, with their grinding down shafts to make themselves feel good, for whatever good that does.

It grinds down wood, people. Listen to Paul. And also Mike. Don't sand your shafts. Learn to clean and smooth your shafts.

I just cringe at all the wood that's lost.

WildWing said:

As a cuemaker, you are correct. Some of the other responses love to kid us, with their grinding down shafts to make themselves feel good, for whatever good that does.

It grinds down wood, people. Listen to Paul. And also Mike. Don't sand your shafts. Learn to clean and smooth your shafts.

I just cringe at all the wood that's lost.

Click to expand...

I remember seeing an early '70s Palmer go from 12 1/2 mm down to about 10 over several years. Makes me shudder to even think about it:frown: